Detachable handle for culinary tools



Aug. 4, 1942. C, ZABEL 2,291,936

DETACHABLE- HANDLE FOR CULINARY TOOLS Original Filed April 19, 1940 17/5 ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 4, 1942 DETACHABLE HANDLE FOR CULINARY TOOLS William 'C. Zabel, Chicago, Ill.

Original application April 19, 1940, Serial No.

330,449. Divided and this application September 14, 1940,.Serial No. 356,758

2 Claims. (Cl. 16-414) This invention relates to culinary tools and has as its principal object the provision of a cutter or mold especially suited for the subdivision of doughs in the making of ravioli and analogous alimentary pastes, the device being useful also as a cocky cutter or the like.

This application constitutes a divisional application of my original application heretofore filed on April 19, 1940, bearing Serial No. 330,449, now Patent No. 2,239,766, of April 29, 1941.

One of the specific objects of the invention is the provision of such a mold by stamping the same from a unitary piece of metal to form a cup-shaped member with an undula-ted or serrated fiange from which projects an annular cutting rim.

A further object is the provision of a novel removable handle for the mold, the operation and manufacture of which is extremely simple and expeditious.

Another object is the provision of a mold of the class described which is drawn and stamped from a single sheet of metal in such manner that a sharp cutting edge is provided on the mold as a result of a drawing of portions of the metal in the stamping operation.

Other objects, advantages and novel aspects of the invention reside in certain details of construction as well as the cooperative relationship of the component parts of the illustrative embodiment described hereinafter in view of the annexed drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view handle;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section along line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cutter and handle;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the cutter alone;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective of a modified form of handle seating means;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the modified handle seating means of Fig. 5.

Referring to Fig. 4, the improved mold or cutter includes a generally cylindrical or cup-shaped member generally indicate-d at I and provided with a top portion 1 l surrounded by a cylindrical vertical wall l2 which terminates in an outwardly projecting flange or rim l3 provided with a series of molding formations or undulations l4, and terminating in a downwardly turned skirt or cutting rim l sharpened as at 16 (Fig. 2) to facilitate the severance or cutting of the dough or other material responsive to a pressing of the cutter into the same.

of the cutter and The mold or cutter is a unitary member which may be struck from a singlepiece of'metal stock in a suitable die stamping machine or which, if desired, may be molded from metal or plastic materials, the di-e stamping being preferred for purposes of economy, and the structural features and contours of the tool being peculiarly suited for manufacture by the die stamping.

The tool or cutter may be used aloneyas shown in Fig. 4, by simply grasping the top and cylindrical portions l and l2 between the fingers, preferably with the top portion I l fitted into the palm of the hand. 'It may be observed that one or more vents H are provided in the top portion so that when the cutting edge It of the rim works into the dough or paste, the entrapped or compressed air may' escape to permit pressin the mold into and through the dough to sever the same by action of the edge It and to press the molding or undulated formations l4 fully into the same to provide the requisite deckling for decorative purposes.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the provision of a removable handle in the preferred form of a band of spring metal bent over in substantially circular contour to provide a bight portion 20 provided with oppositely divergent leg portions 2| each of which is adapted to spring into a slot 22 stamped in the top portion I I of the mold with a generally vertical stoppin surface 23 against which the end of the corresponding leg is urged by the spring action of the bight, each slot including an upwardly offset strap portion 24 which overlies the upper portion of the corresponding leg adjoining the edge portion thereof to seat the handle firmly on the top of the cutter as illustrated in Fig. 1, for example.

In order to remove the handle from its applied condition shown in Fig. 2, the opposite sides of the bight 20 are grasped and squeezed between the fingers into the compressed condition illustrated in dotted lines, with the result that the opposite legs or feet 2! are retracted from their respective slots 22 for separation from the cutter, the reverse operation, of course, being effected in applying the handle.

An important feature of the invention resides in the method of producing a cutter having a cutting edge l6 which is sharpened or rendered sharp as a result of the stamping or drawing of the shell. The mold is stamped from a sheet of metal of suitable gauge, and the formation of the cylindrical wall portions l2 result in a drawing or thinning out of the metal in this region as well as in the cutting rim l5, and the dies are so formed that the cutting edge I6 is drawn so thin as to be substantially sharpened, so that it is unnecessary to sharpen the edge of the skirt as a separate step in the manufacture of the device.

The modified structure of Figs. and 6 differs from the previously described structure in respect to the seating means for the detachable handle. On the top portion II a of the mold of Fig. 5 there is stamped. a diametrically extending recess 30, the width of which corresponds to the width of the handle element 20a, and at the opposite ends of this recess, openings or slots 3|, extending in a direction across the recess 30, are cut through the metal of the top portion H a to receive the opposite end portions 2la (Fig. 6) of the handle when the latter is sprung into place.

Means for additionally securing the handle in position in the modified device of Figs. 5 and 6 includes the provision of inwardly projecting bosses 32 stamped in the top Wall H a in out Wardly spaced relation from the slots 3! to abut the ends of the feet in a manner analogous to a cross portion 33 of the top wall analogous to the strap portions 24 of Fig. 2.

the appended claims shall include all equivalent arrangements and methods fairly coming within their call.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described including a member upon which a handle is to be removably mounted and a removable handle therefor, a handle structure comprising the provision in a wall of said member of an elongated recess having slots cut through said wall at opposite ends of the recess, a handle member having oppositely projecting feet adapted to rest on the bottom wall of said recess with each foot projecting into one of said slots at the end of said recess, said wall having embossed stopping formations disposed for engagement with the end of each foot.

2. In a device of the class described including a Wall portion upon which a handle is to be removably mounted, handle means comprising a handle member having a bight portion terminating in divergently extending feet and constructed of a springy material to diverge said feet into a normal position, said wall portion having an elongated recess formed therein and of a width providing a snug seat for each of said feet at opposite ends thereof, through the opposite end walls of said recess and into each of which one of said feet is pro jected by diverging action of the handle member, said Wall portion having an inward projection spaced in the direction of divergence of the feet away from each of said openings and against which the end of the corresponding foot abuts when the feet are seated as aforesaid.

WILLIAM C. ZABEL. 

